Why is a moderate Democrat’s primary loss being called an AIPAC backfire? 

Washington, DC – Tom Malinowski, a moderate Democrat, has conceded defeat to progressive Analilia Mejia in a crowded primary race in New Jersey for the United States House of Representatives.

But the race is being called a loss not just for Malinowski but also for the influential pro-Israel organisation that opposed him: the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

In recent years, Malinowski, a former Congress member, has offered only mild criticism of Washington’s unconditional support for Israel, suggesting conditions could be placed on US aid.

That, however, was enough to trigger an onslaught of targeted attack advertisements from the United Democracy Project (UDP), a super PAC linked to AIPAC.

Critics say the campaign against Malinowski is a sign of AIPAC’s zero-tolerance strategy towards any criticism of Israel, despite the risk of blowback from a Democratic electorate increasingly wary of Israel’s actions.

In this case, UDP’s spending appeared to help Mejia, the most critical candidate in the race of US-Israel policy.

Malinowski’s concession on Tuesday comes five days after the February 5 Democratic primary, as officials finish tallying outstanding votes.

As of Tuesday, Mejia, a former campaign official for progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, leads by about 900 votes.

Tahesha Way, a former lieutenant governor of New Jersey, came in a distant third, despite having been embraced by conservative Israeli media in the final stretch of the race.

Malinowski, too, had previously enjoyed AIPAC’s support and describes himself as “pro-Israel”. He formerly served as a congressmemeber representing a different New Jersey district from 2019 to 2023.

In his statement conceding defeat, Malinowski applauded Mejia, saying she deserves “unequivocal praise and credit for running a positive campaign and for inspiring so many voters on election day”.

But he nevertheless acknowledged the role AIPAC played in the results.

“The outcome of this race cannot be understood without also taking into account the massive flood of dark money that AIPAC spent on dishonest ads during the last three weeks,” Malinowski wrote.

“The threat unlimited dark money poses to our democracy is far more significant than the views of a single member of Congress on Middle East policy.”

With Mejia’s victory, many observers see AIPAC’s newest approach backfiring.

Malinowski has long been a supporter of US funding for Israel. But he has suggested that Washington should not provide a “blank cheque” to the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mejia, in contrast, was the only candidate in the race to refer to Israel’s war in Gaza as a genocide.

She will face two Republicans in a special election in April, competing for a district that swung heavily Democratic in the 2024 vote.

While the Democratic Party’s progressive branch has long criticised AIPAC’s tactics, the campaign against Malinowski has brought criticism from what is considered its more “moderate” flank.

The advertisements bought by UDP did not specifically reference Malinowski’s support for Israel.

Instead, they attacked the former Congress member over domestic issues, including a 2019 vote in support of funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Representative Brad Schneider, the leader of the centrist caucus New Democrat Coalition, told the publication Politico that AIPAC’s strategy “raised eyebrows”.

He questioned the group for “spending against a candidate that would’ve been a New Dem and instead electing a far-left candidate”.

“Come on, guys, this is not what we were hoping for here,” said Schneider, who himself has enjoyed AIPAC support.

Mark Pocan, a Democratic Congressman and longtime AIPAC critic, meanwhile called the strategy a “monumental failure”.

He said the spending showed that Democratic voters were becoming increasingly averse not just to AIPAC but to groups associated with it, like the UDP, as outrage over Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues to grow.

“Their money is so toxic that the very people they are trying to help are now hurt by their involvement, no matter how well disguised,” Pocan wrote on social media.

For its part, AIPAC sent a letter to supporters last week, downplaying the situation. It noted that, because Mejia is running in a special election, even if she wins in April, her term will only run through January of next year. She will face another Democratic primary in June before the general election.

It pledged to get involved in that race as well.

“While this is not the outcome we hoped for, her prospective win was an anticipated possibility,” AIPAC said in its email.

“Our ultimate focus for this race remains the June primary that will likely determine who represents this district for the full term beginning in January 2027.”

Ali Harb contributed reporting.